Jeannot, Steeves Join TD Garden’s Annual Back-to-School Celebration

BOSTON –– With the NHL season just over a month away, class is soon to be in session for students all around New England.

TD Garden, TD, The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division, Boston Public Schools, and the City of Boston hosted the 15th Annual Back-to-School Celebration on Wednesday to ensure kids have the materials they need for a successful school year.

​Tanner Jeannot and Alex Steeves were in attendance for the Boston Bruins, dishing out high-fives, supplies-filled backpacks and jumping into floor hockey and basketball games with the youth at the Garden.

“To see TD and the Bruins making an effort to help enrich education for all these children – I think it’s amazing,” Steeves said. “We all are so lucky to do this for a living and have fans who come and spend their [hard-earned] money to support us…It is cool to see that money then means something; to go back into programs and initiatives like this to just make the lives better for a lot of these kids who deserve it.”

Throughout the past 15 years of the event, more than 56,000 backpacks and over $600,000 have been donated to support students and families. TD Garden presented a $15,000 check on Wednesday to Boston Public Schools Music and Arts program.

“We also have some doctors upstairs. We have eye doctors, a dentist – people get checkups before they go to school, too, which is also important in getting ready health-wise for the school year,” said Bruins CEO and alternate governor Charlie Jacobs. “This is about sharing the Garden as a resource for the community.”

The Back-to-School Celebration honored 15 Boston Public Schools educators who make an impact beyond the classroom and support the district’s music and arts agendas.

“I think one of our biggest obligations and priorities as a community leader, whether it’s the Boston Bruins or TD Garden, is finding a way to give back. I think through our foundation and other means, the Bruins probably stand at the highest level of trying to find the best ways possible to give back to the community – not just here in Boston but the greater New England area,” said Glen Thornborough, who is the Chief Operating Officer of the Bruins and President of TD Garden. “We do well over 250 events a year, and this is probably one of the most special ones that we do. We have hundreds of engaged volunteers – half of them are employees or TD Bank employees. Our partnership with the Salvation Army has allowed us to continue this momentum.”

Jeannot brought his family, including wife Keely and two young sons, Jayce and Calder, to the festivities. The 29-year-old forward is entering his second season with the organization and has learned that giving back is a key piece of the Bruins’ identity off the ice.

“I grew up with a family full of teachers, so I have had a few experiences like this. It is good to just see the excitement of the kids coming,” Jeannot said. “An event like this where kids are getting what they need to get the education they need and should get – it’s just a special thing to see and be part of.”

Next up for Jeannot and Steeves is training camp in September.

“It is always an exciting time coming back to the rink and meeting all the new guys that come in. Just getting the energy back in. This is kind of the time of the summer where it’s feeling a little bit long, you want to get the real thing going,” Jeannot said. “I’m looking forward to getting back and starting up what is hopefully going to be a great season for us, and doing everything that I can do to help the Bruins and the team win.”

Steeves has been teammates with two of the new faces the B’s will have in the locker room. He played with Connor Clifton and Will Borgen for Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland in May.

“[Clifton] is an unbelievable guy. Will Borgen, too,” Steeves said. “Two really high-character guys who play the game the right way, play hard. I think they’re going to help us out on defense. Extremely excited to work with them every day and get to know them better.”